Red rose

My old deep red rose is way out of reach as it climbs ever-upwards towards the roof. It is about 15 feet above ground level. But I wanted to show it to members of our family, who are scattered.worldwide. My solution was to use the versatile Leica V-Lux typ. 114, a highly useful bridge camera, with a telephoto zoom extending to the equivalent of 400 mm.

Using the lens in that way has proved to be a very useful asset. It allows selective framing of an object which loses impact at much wider angles of view. It will highlight a face in the crowd, unnoticed by many people, using their wide-angle cameras on their smartphones.

Because the rose is so dark, I took two more variants, progressively increasing the exposure by +1/3 EV. However, when I examined the raw files, my original exposure gave me the most realistic rendering.

I transferred the image wirelessly to my Galaxy tablet, employing Leica Fotos transfer software. In the past I avoided this method because of its complexity. However, the latest version is more satisfying and reliable in use. Within minutes I had processed the picture in Snapseed and it was on its way via WhatsApp. One familymember thought that it resembled a painting. That was not my intention. But who knows? We each have different perceptions.

For rosarians looking in, the rose is R. Etoile de Hollande, (Star of Holland) a fairly old mid-20th century cultivar, planted about 30 years ago. It is a rampant grower, but it has a delicious fruity fragrance if you can reach it. We intend to try propagating from it., to enjoy it at ground level.

Later.
This morning, I was able to collect another rose from the same climber and photograph it indoors. The fragrance could more easily be enjoyed. I can now share it with you.



Note: If you have experience of using long zoom lenses in this way, please share your knowledge by commenting below. We all have unique experiences.